Cable box



.June'16, 1925. l ,e .1,542,421

' H. L. STRONGSON CABLE Box Filed April 29, 1922 1N VENTOR Patented June 16, 1925.

vHERMANL,` sTRoNGsoN,.onBnooXLYN, NEWYon-K, ,AssIGNom BYMESNE nssrsfnf MENTS; To.mHETHoMAs;&..BmTso0, on ELrZABETH; 1\T\':.W,Y JERSEY, A CQRfBQRA- moNonNmJnnsEm f CABLE' Box.A

Applictonv filed pril29, 1922. Serial No. 557366.

To (LU 'wlw-m it may concern:

- Be it known that LHERMAN" Il. STRONG- soN, ai citizenA of the'U'nited Statesyfresiding at Brooklynfinjtlie countyoKing-s and State/'of INew Yo1k,"have invented certain new and* useful rlxynprovements inf .Cable BoXes`,.of which thefollowing isV a specifi# cation. "-'This invention relates to improvements in oableland outlet/f boxes, rrifzftstenersf enehorages endthe like-usedfgenerelly in building construction und i electrical iin'st'elzlettions;.1 f An object of fthei invention is .to-I produce an improved Icable boxaconstruction. simple end economical fito manufacture; and` which comprises few parts/requiringv nof machine Work, jfitti'ngg,V orl asseinblin g1. in; completing and Y making it f reedyzlfonuse 5 and f in'.: eddition, it is an object to produce unimproved cablev boX together...with :ansi improved locking plug, I the resulting parte dming, ofy such simple@ design? and construction tlratthe` two parts -are joined together With-out' f sc'rews or f Yother machine f. f fasteningsal.A to securely anchor? e vcalo-le- Atothefbox. -L i .r v

A cable lbox'. constructed in accordance with the plans offfthis invention comprises e single :piece lcestingvor`l4 boXr/havingi open spaces or sockets" `for Ethereception of* cable ends, and' :i lockingjplugais:adapted tube driven` into the-opent socketwspaoeo and 'j annnedl against thewable; ypositively nnehoring'the cablelinltheiboxm 'P1 Thjenceompanvingdrawings show an embodimentfo'myinvention-.end t'thougli a. preferred form of `construction .is fillustrted; l .cliirn a iright:offprotection.as to such vchanges i afs obviously Icome Within .the sCope'ofinyinventioin :up

In the accompanyingdrawings Figures` l, andi 3' illustrztte"respectively azutop", side and lbottom project-ion of the gcable/boxeend cable or conduits arel'shofyvnffin connection with the first tWo/ligures. i LVv v Figureedllustrbsrtesist cross sectional View7 teken' on-tlie` linee-eroi Figurefl.; i "Figure/5 illustrates; a sectional view taken ont'helineiol-Q' j fffF'iguriQ.' f il "Figure 6 'fillustrz'rtes -a lperspective view: of en improvedlocking1 plug"whichy is i driven -into the cable`r socket *opening Y to: lock both itself-'and cable-in 'permanent position. K Referring now` morellpasrticulerly-to the drawingsftore detail description ofi the` cable r box, a one-piece casting -lcoinprisese series of lippen Wal-ls 9 :integral:y with .a loll" cnler '.Wellivl'r which forms; a1.,-centra.l hole `und 1 tlie Wallisu'races 9N arre'made perfil` lelnvith ai lower` Wall A0,.v and thetxtofp;` ,pa'rt r9 andi bottom: ,parti 10i.z of: thercztstingl are connected by series of vtie-nsversefif'Weil-ls orxwebs ll. Thexvwebs nreeafrrajnged l in pairsv and spaced apaintatmiorm agpluialihy of openqoableendireceptzteleesockets l2. -f .The design and construction ofzthefparallel vWebs y11 joining .witlnthe.oircularwvell 15, andithe upperl and lower pezrtsf. 9 mnd. 10; :causes-fthe `cable openngZgto" iassurnel a.; Ufshiaipedrdesign :ovitlr :an opening.- V,et .the ronterfcircnmterence ofthe castinggornthe receptiongof s e: p lug and en; :openingpfoni to pif-fon the .-.ieception :of aL cable.; The-single piece casting isA :made i circular orground in- .ormend has :L threaded boss 13 f projecting from-ille .fa-ce -tenrcls thrn `the cast v. box i to. ,the-threaded boss 13 which providesn welll `onm-ingf the innerrsideofthe :cable sockets 112,. Y

t lfhe ,eirculafimvall f' l5y is, unede with several, preerably r two,A sharp, edged ribs or ridges t6 i. whichJ extend vertieekend; parallel to :the axis .of ythe cablebox.'1,.Sl1ouldeis 17 rfa-re formed in thecorners of thenopenings-.lQ :which .extend :froinf the Vcircumference-o :fthe box back to the wall 15. The innen-parelflel f surfaces: off the Wiebs 1l. eremedefwith .ridge teetl/r.A or corrugations 18 :which .teeth extend.vertically'from the shoulder 17:1t0 .the Wallzsurface `9:. A depression: or cylindricelzA socketfrlg isfmadezfin the `Wel-M10 Within the bounds oitliefllrshapedopening .125' This asocketpd) is set-.nbarckr somewhat `from the ledge, or circumference o1-the .box and. afneontinuation.ofrrthe-.perallelshoulders extend; around@ the socket 19..or1ning partfoel' the fwall of t'hisshallow-,centering socket 1.9.; useful in; maintaningxthe; cable .end :in position' While` the'tlockng :plug iS be- `:ing :driven: `as "later fseen.

ai Anloclcing, plug;y .or anchor .designed to\be'f.driven inwardly., to close, the;` eue-,shaped opening :endl loclr a ,cable therein 5 f and -Lthe said. plug.y ,i comprises; e: forkedV toothed. .or

:corrugated device with at head Y by Wh ich it fis. driven' into the opening., and more particu.- `.lerly comprises. e. forked: or -U;-she-ped .-,plug :of twoioutspreedowedges 2O corrugated or toothed :asset 2l onthe outer suracesfthereof and having a connecting web or head 22. The outer toothed surfaces 21 are preferably made parallel while the inner faces of the parts or forks are disposedv at an angle `which forms the wedge-shaped design as shown in the drawings. A rib or ribs 23 are disposed on the inner faces of the wedge parts-20, and these ribs extend parallel to the plane of the walls or faces 9 and 10 of the box are rightsangular to the axis of the cable anchored to the box. lt is to be observed that the ribs 16 of the box are disposed right-angular to the ribs 23 of the plug 22. The-toothed construction of the plug 22 and the open-sided socket 12 are formed for the purpose of causing the plug to lock within the U-shaped opening.

The plug 22 is preferably made of material which possesses a characteristic of yieldability or springingness in order that the wedge parts 2O may contract or yield inwardly as the plug is driven inwardly toward the center of the cable box. This phig is manufactured by casting as may be true with the box part, and it is desirable on the part of the manufacturer, though the box itself be cast of grey iron, that they said plug should preferably be cast of a metal which possesses spring qualities, such as malleable iron, and requiring a malleable property the plugmay be stamped, or working as well if hard to impart spring characteristics there* to, it may be cast as aforesaid.

The cable box is, an usual with these devices, provided with holes 25 near the outer rim by which it is secured to the ceiling or the wall of a building where electrical conduits are being installed, and the aforesaid boss 13 isdesigned as a point of support to hold fixtures or electrical chandeliers and the like.

The cable ends C to be anchored to the box are inserted in the U-shaped openings 12 with the end thereof resting within the sockets 19., The plug 22 is inserted in the opening 12 and dfriven home by several sharp blows of a hammer whereby the cable is jammed inwardly against the sharp edge Tof the ribs 16, and the ribs 23 on the. plug cut or indent-the armored wall of the electri` cal cable conduit() to such an extent that the combined holding effort of all the ribs 'is ,so effective that the cable is permanently "anchored to the box. An advantage, among others, Lis that thoroughly good electrical ground connection is established between the cable andl box by reason of the direct biting engagement between the plug and cable. Some `electrical cables are manufactured with a spiral overlapping metal armor which provides a thread-like spiral groove in the cable; and the plug ribs 23, orusually one of them, find its way intoV the spiral groove of the armored cable whereby the said cable is still further and more securely locked in position. As the plug is driven inwardly, its inner wedge-shaped surface or ribs 23 engage and slide upon the electrical cable C whereby the wedge parts 2O of the plug are caused to expand outwardly thereby more firmly engaging the corrugated or toothed surfaces 1S and 21. lVhen the plug has very nearly reached its inwardly limited position, usually one or Inore additional hammer blows will force the plug one or two teeth further because the cable wall will give in` wardly sufiicient to admit the said wedge plug to advance one more tooth, whereupon the cablewall quickly expands causing the ratchet to again seat in locked position.

It is to be observed that the plug slides inwardly on the shoulders 17 thereby leaving a slight clearance space between the plug and the wall 10 of the box. A screw driver or tool may be inserted in this space for the purpose of prying the plug out of the LL shaped opening or socket 12. Once the plug is driven home and securely anchored in position, it is more or less difficult to ever effect'a disengagement of the plug and cable box, but as aforesaid, the plug can be pryed out and thereafter a new plug or the old one can be driven back into the same place to again look the cable. y

t will be observed that in the manufacture of this cable box, there are no machine operations to perform on either the plug or the box, because both parts are cast and do not require any fitting or assembling operations. Furthermore, the box is economical in the use of locking plugs because. even though several cable sockets are provided in the box, it is only necessary to use a plug for each cable anchored to the box and therefore a saving is effected on the part of the purchaser inasmuch as he may buy the boxes and the plugs separately, using one or more plugs in each box depending on the number of cables to be fastened to the box.

Having described the invention what I claim is 1. In cable anchorages, boxes, and the like, a box having a socket depression made in a wall thereof to support a cable end, said socket including spaced parallel side walls, and a forked plug slidable alongthe walls to embrace the cable, and held in position by surfaceengagement between the plug forks and the box wall.

`2. In cable boxes and the like, a box lhaving a depression made in a wall thereof to support a cable end, spaced parallel straight side walls disposed alongside the depression and between which the cable end is placed, a resilient forked plug sidable along the walls to straddle and engage the cable, and

ratchet teeth made on the plug and side walls to lock the plug. y

3. In cable boxes and the like, a box having a depression made in a wall thereof to l un) supporta cable end, Vspaced Webs defining the depression, a plug slidable along the webs to engage the cable, and ratchet means established between the webs and plug to hold the plug against the cable.

4. In cable boxes and the like, a casting having an opening, teeth formed in the said opening, Va resilient locking plug slidable `into the opening an d held the teeth.

5. In cable boxes and the like, a cylindrie cal casting said casting having a U-shaped opening madetherein and extending` toward the center of the casting with the opening at the periphery of the 4box to receive a cable end, and a U-shaped -plug anchored in the U-shaped opening by a frictionally driving lit against the wall of the opening to jam the plug and Cable against said wall.

6. In cable boxes and the like, a cylindrical casting,'said casting having a U-shaped opening to receive a cable end, a resilient locking plug, ratchet teeth formed between the plug and opening whereby the plug when driven into the opening undergoes a step by step ratchet locking action.

7. Im )rovements in cable boxes and the like, a 0x having a cable socket made therein, said socket being made open at the periphery7 of the box, and a forked plug disposed in the opening to straddle and anchor the cable to the box, and said plug frictionally gripping the cable socket.V

8. Improvements in cable boxes and the like, a casting having a cable socket made therein, a forked plug disposed in and en-` gaging the socket to straddle and lock the cable to the casting, ribs made in the socket and on the forked plug which are embedded in the cable when the forked plug is driven inwardly, and said plug frictionally gripping" the cable socket walls.

9. Improvements 1n cable boxes andthe like, a box having a socket with atop opening to receive a cable end and side openings to receive a forked driven plug, an inner wall support bounding the socket against which the cable rests, a locking device for holding the plug within the socket andI against the cable,comprising plug means frictionally gripping the socket wall.

10. In cable boxes and the like, spaced parallel walls,a transverse web disposed betweenthe walls to form a cable receiving space having a top opening for receiving a cable end and a side opening for the reception of a locking plug, anda forked wedge-shaped locking plug disposed in the side opening, and anchored therein by frictional engagement with the box wall.

l1. In cable boxes and the like, spaced parallel walls, transverse webs disposed between the walls to form a cable receiving space having a top opening for receiving a'- cable end and a side opening for the reception of a locking plug, a forked wedgeshaped locking plug slidable intov the side opening,.and ratchet teeth formed between the locking plug and webs to effect permanent anchorage of the plug.

12. In cable boxes and the like having a suitable opening to receive a cable end, a shoulder made in the opening,'and a plug slidable into the opening along the shoulder whereby clearance is provided between the locking plug and cable box for the reception of a tool used to pry out the locking Plus'- 13. In cable boxes and the like, a casting having an opening to receive cable ends, a driving head, spaced wedge-shaped parts made on the driving head and adapted to be forced into the opening by hammering on the head. f

14. In cable boxes and the like, a one piece casting having a plurality of cable receiving sockets, a two-armed locking plug, a driving head made on the locking plug` ribs formed on theinside of each arm of the two-armed locking plug straddling the cable and said plug frictionally driven into the socket causing the ribs to bite into the cable.

l5. In cable boxes and the like, a body piece having U-shaped spaces for the reception of a cable end, a wall covering one side of the U-shaped space and acting as a rest against which the cable end is seated, a

U-shaped plug to drive into the space and HERMAN L. sreonesov.` 

